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A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice, Rashomon is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Four people give different accounts of a man's murder and the rape of his wife, which director Akira Kurosawa presents with striking imagery and an ingenious use of flashbacks.

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This is without a doubt one of the best movies ever made by Kurisawa. Everyone should watch it because it definitely shows what real life occasions are like when viewed by more than one person. It is timeless. I have watched it many times and given the movie as a gift to several people. And it has Toshiro Mifune, one of Japan's finest actors. Buy it and watch it several times.

I'm currently replacing all my old VHS tapes and older DVD's of great Japanese movies. I saw a lot of these films when they were in first release in the US! Not this one unfortunately ( I was about 5 years to young for this one). But what a great job Criterion has done with this film. The clarity of both picture and sound reminded me of why I liked these films so much in the first place (see my review of Gate of Hell). If you are just discovering Japanese films this is a great place to start! It's difficult to put in a short review all of the things that make this one so great, but one is that this film brought to screen a direct shot of the sun for the first time ever! Yes, it is screened by the leaves of trees but it had never been done before! Cool! There are so many other great things in this film. If you can afford the Criterion $bump, get it! (and the Seven Samurai too!)

The original idea from which 3 or 4 American movies were made...an incident/murder ...where 3 or more people give different versions of what they "saw". Compelling to watch, it may tale an effort on your part but at its conclusion you will know you have watched something special which will stay with you for some time.. It is for a mature audience, you just cannot sit on the couch all relaxed eating popcorn, this movie will not allow you to do this.....it requires a discussion following its viewing....A special ...notice for the EXCELLENT restoration of this 55year old film done frame-by-frame, perfect ! this alone makes it special for a student of cinema....BUY it and place it next to your Citizen Kane.with other recognized classics.

This is a movie classic, and so far, nothing had changed! This is a story about gripping search for truth -- what had caused a tragic end of a couple's marriage... Recommended to everybody who wants to experience pleasure from watching a truly good movie experience, as in this case, you will deal with a work of Japanese legendary movie director Akira Kurosawa first film that bought him the recognition in the international community of filmmakers. Then move to "Seven samurais", and you will not regret! Tatyana Elmanovich

This is a Classic film about how people deviate from the truth because of various ulterior motives ( a real who done it ?). Everyone has a different story about the same incident. I like the way it is now produced with more language options. This story was also done as an American Western "The Outrage" starring Paul Newman as a Mexican bandit ( I had previously thought it was But Reynolds). I assume almost everyone knows that Kurusawa's most famous is "Seven Samurai", which became "The Magnificent Seven" starring Yul Brynner and Steve Mc Queen.

The film Rashomon is a pure classic. The acting and plot twists make this a truly enjoyable movie to watch for everyone from film students to casual viewers. When you start watching the classics, you start to realize that modern film is built off of classic film like this. Truly, Akira Kurosawa's much revered movie has become a model off which countless other movies have been made. Overall, the film is enjoyable to watch, and the storytelling is superb, especially when taken in perspective with modern film. The structure of the story is one which has been copied in many movies, even those which are quite famous.

What makes Rashomon notable, besides the fact that it was made in 1950 in Japan, well before the modern convention was used in most films, is that is uses a non-linear approach to the tale. Instead of having a static protagonist and setting, the same story is told from many points of view. In Rashomon, there are four main perspectives from which the same story is told. The event which the story revolves around is a rape and murder. However, just as in real life, the truth about what really happened is not as clear as we would like.

The movie is full of action which keeps most viewers entertained, but it is also home to a stunning story of truth, justice, and consequences. The director, Kurosawa, focuses on the difficulty in knowing what human nature is really like, as it goes through the different perspectives of the characters in the story. The picture is better because background information about the film indicates that the director's favorite actor, Toshiro Mifune, plays the lead role. This unity is obvious throughout the film which is a work of art.

I bought Rashomon in VHS, and it was enjoyable, but a little grainy on the screen. Then I bought it in DVD; not so grainy but still dark. Now I have the movie in instant HD video in my video library. The quality has improved again. Not grainy at all, and not so dark either. The images are sharp and the rain imposing both visually and aurally. More light and greater contrast so I can the see the blemishes on the actors' faces, the tears and holes in the clothing, the grit and straw clinging to them. The voices are crisper and the captions easier to read. Now we have Rashomon in all its glory!